Last.



C. H. BROWN.

LAST.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-1.1915.

LQWASD Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

' Fig.1.

' InvenToh Chufles H.Brown.

by w/ldwkw Au s.

rrnn sra rns ra'rnnr oniuon CHARLES H. BROWN, 0]? BROOKLINE,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 IBERENICE BROWN, 01 BROOKLINE,MASSACHUSETTS.-

LAST.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Lasts, of which thefollowing descriptiom'in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a novel construction of shoe lasts.

, This last is of a configuration such that shoes made thereon will havea construction adapted to correspond more closely to the anatomicalstructure of the human foot and will provide means for bracing thosearched portions of the foot which naturally function'to sustain thestress of the load carried.

The construction of the human foot is such that it has two members whichare substantially bridge structures. The longitudinal foot arch istrussed by the bow-string'which is attached to the heel bone and leadssubstantially along the median portion of the foot bottom to the ball ofthe foot at which end it has several attachments at different pointsjust back of the forward transverse arch, known as the anterior ormetatarsal arch. This transverse arch is formed by the joints of theball of the foot. This arch rests upon .a pad or cushion of flesh whichin walking barefooted is pressed upon by the bones of this arch. Thebone structure is such that the tension of the weight borne thereonspreads these bones apart and, when the weight is lifted, they areimmediately contracted by the flexible ligaments fastening the bonestogether. This action, resolved into a cycle of operations in walking,functions as a pump for the blood to .assure the proper circulation inthe foot.

The present disadvantages and defects of the last structure overcome inthis novel structure are several, The shank of the present laststructure is rounded and is also too short as the shoes formedrelatively thereon have enough heel properly to brace the bow-string.Round shank lasts produce a shank in a shoe which presents a concavedsurface as a support for the bow-string which, as stated,

shanks which are not long is naturally formed to be presented to a flatI for approximately flat surface. And, being with relation to theforepart and relatively too short, the normal bow-string is withoutsupport at that portion of the present shoe which is just at the rear ofthe usual tread portion. This non-supported and non-fitted portion iscomprehended between the points at which the bow-string is attached tothe anterior arch and the juncture of the usual shank and concavedinnersole. Hence, the bow-string sags at this portion. Further, theusual rounded last shank is not of a configuration destined to form ashoe shank which will fully and efficiently carry the bow-string portionas well as the curved inner portion of the instep of the foot. A seriousdefect of the last commonly employed is that the forepart is convexed orrounded, an especially disadvantageousfactor at the tread portion of theforepart or ball. The shoes finished from such lasts have innersoleswhich present a concaved or rounded surface to the foot. Suchconformation strains and tends to break down the flexible ligaments ofthe anterior arch, as the human foot is constructed to be placed upon aflat surface and not upon a surface simulating the interior of a tube.Such a surface as is presented to the bottom of the foot by shoes formedon the usual lasts, also operates to curtail, if it does not ultimatelyprevent, the eflectuation ofthe blood pumping function of this flexiblearch.

These disadvantages are overcome in this novel last structure by forminga last in which there is a radical departure from the present generallyrounded shank portion. Herein, the shank portion is longer with relationto the last forepart, theilnder surface of the forepart is substantiallyflat and a novel conformation is given to the portion of the forepartforwardly extending from the usual tread thereof so that the shoe formedon this last has a forward tread extension.

An object of this invention is to provide a shoe last such that shoesmade thereon will correspond more closely to the formation of and moreefliciently cooperate with the functionsofth'e human foot.

A. more specific object is to provide a shoe last having a relativelyshort forepart, a tread extension and a novel shank portion.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the followingdescription and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in theannexed claims.

the lines 11 and 12, which ings, there is illustrated a last of thetwopart type though obviously lasts embodying this invention may be ofany of the general types. The relatively long heel 1 has se curedthereto, by any suitable means, the

5 usual heel seat plate 2. The last shank or longitudinal bow-stringarch 3 runs from the forward end of this heel seat to the forepart-l ofthe last. The shank of the last, in relation to the forepart of thelast, is

longer than in the usual last conformation. The toe portion 5 of theforepart is slightly upwardly turned, as indicated in Fig. 1,

I while the tread portion ,6, the middle transverse portion of theforepart, is substantially 5 flat or substantially in the plane of thehorizontal as shown in Fig. 1. An approx mately concave surface 7 isformedin t e under face of the last. This surface 7 meets the treadportion 6, as here 'shown, in the transversely arcuate line 8.Rearwa-rdly,

this surface, in this preferred embodiment,

joins the inner surface 9 and the outer surface 10 of the under surfaceof the shank in form a generally obtuse. angle, the apex of which is atthe forward termination of the line 13 formed by the intersection of thetwo shank-forming portions. v,

The shank, as noted, is substantially an-' gular. in crom-section. Theouter surface 10 of the shank is longitudinally arcuate and is of suchconformation that its transverse elements are all, in this preferredembodiment, substantially parallel to each other 5 and also to thetransverse elements of the flat tread portion 6 of the forepart.

. This conformation corresponds generally to the foot bow-stringstructure and a' shoe formed on this novel last will be provided a 5with a relatively broadbow-string supporting surfaceg Fufther, in the.formed shoe, this outer supporting portion 10 provides a transverselyfiat surface to be offered to the bow-string and thus properly.functions to support this portion of a foot more efficiently than doesthe interiorly rounded or concaved shank of a shoe formed on the usuallast having the rounded or completely curved shank contour. In theselected embodiment illustrated, the shank inner surface 9 begins at apoint well back of the forward endiof the heel seat and runs to theconcave surface 7 meeting it "as indicated by the line 11. This innersur- 5 face 9 is also longitudinally arcuate in conslightly concavedwhich effectuates a relatively short extension of this concave surface 7into the inner surface 9 of the last shank.

There is thus presented a novel last structure by means of which shoesformed thereon will more easily correspond to and more eflicientlycooperate with the natural structure and functions of the human foot.

The relatively lengthened last shank results ina proportionatelylengthened shank in the formed shoe, so that the long cord or bowstringis more completely supported throughout its length from the anteriorarch back to its'junction with the heel bone. The formed shoe will alsobe provided with a tread extension which will substantially form anoutside rearward continuation of the tread portion of the shoe and to arelatively slight degree the innersole will beconvexed to afford greatersupport to the rear portion of the anterior or transverse ball arch. 7Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire tosecure by Letters Patent is: I I

1. A shoe last having fore, shank and heel parts, the under surface ofthe shank being formed by angularly apportioned inner and outersurfaces, the inner surface when continued meeting the outer surface ina line extending longitudinally of the shank, and forming an outwardlypresented angle, the transverse elements of the outer surface beingapproximately horizontal. Y 2. A shoe'last having fore, shank and heeparts, the under surface of the shank having defined inner and outersurfaces and the heel part having a heel seat, the iImer portion only ofthe surface of the heel seat being shaped to form substantially acontinuation of the shank inner surface in order to conform to the humanfoot structure. I 3. A shoe last having fore, shank and heel parts, theunder surface bf the shank formed by angularly apportioned inner andouter surfaces and the fore part rearw-ardly extending-and meeting saidshank, the line of intersection of said surfaces forming'a substantiallyobtuse angle. 4 4. A shoe last having fore, shank and heel parts, thtread portions of the fore part having its transverse elementssubstantially horizontal andhaving a substantially con- 130 caved rearportion whereby arch-supporting means are provided in a shoe formed uponsaid last. i v

5. A shoe last having a fore part and a shank, the undersurface of theshank being formed by angularly apportioned inner and outer surfaces,the tread portion of the fore part being substantially flat and theouter of said angularly apportioned shank surfaces having its transverseelements substantially parallel to those of said tread portion. Y

6. A shoelast having a forepart and a shank, the under surface of theshank being formed of an inner and an outer surface, the tread portionof the forepart being substantially fiat, the outer surface of the shankhaving its transverse elements substantially parallel to those of saidtread portion and the inner surface of the shank having its transverseelements upwardly curved and extended to form the elements of the innerside of the upper portion of the last, said shank surfaces forming attheir intersection an outwardly presented angle.

7. A shoe last having a forepart, a shank and a heel, the under surfaceof the'shank being formed of an inner and an outer surface, saidsurfaces meeting 1n an outwardly presented angle, the inner portion ofthe heel seat being shaped to form a'substantial continuation of theinner surface of the shank, and the forepart having an angular portionrearwardly extending to the shank part, the construction and relation ofthe parts being such that a shoe formed thereon offers means forsupporting the several arches of the human foot.

8. A shoe last including a shank having its under surface formed of anouter section having substantially horizontal transverse elements and aninner section having CHARLES H. BROWN. p

